The 'Hello Girls' who served in World War I

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A U.S. Army Signal Corps unit of 33 telephone operators, known as "Hello Girls," arrive in France in 1918 during World War I. All could speak French and English.
Detroit News Photo Archive

Hello Girls connect phone calls in the switchboard located in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer at the American Expeditionary Forces headquarters in Tours, France, Oct. 17, 1918. They played a critical role, quickly connecting calls between military personnel at dozens of exchanges across France, often near the front lines.
U.S. Army Signal Museum and the U.S. Army Women’s Museum

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Hello Girls connect phone calls in the switchboard located in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer at the American Expeditionary Forces headquarters in Tours, France, Oct. 17, 1918. They played a critical role, quickly connecting calls between military personnel at dozens of exchanges across France, often near the front lines.
U.S. Army Signal Museum and the U.S. Army Women’s Museum

Telephone operators pose for a photo stateside before shipping out. They wore Army uniforms and swore Army oaths, but when they returned home in January 1920, they were denied veteran status and benefits.
Library of Congress

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Telephone operators pose for a photo stateside before shipping out. They wore Army uniforms and swore Army oaths, but when they returned home in January 1920, they were denied veteran status and benefits.
Library of Congress

The U.S. Army ID for Marine City resident Oleda Joure identifies her as a civilian telephone switchboard operator working for the Army. She served in France from 1918 to 1920.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

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The U.S. Army ID for Marine City resident Oleda Joure identifies her as a civilian telephone switchboard operator working for the Army. She served in France from 1918 to 1920.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

Oleda Joure, of French-Canadian descent, volunteered for the Army job at about the age of 19. She worked in Chaumont, France, at the headquarters of Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

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Oleda Joure, of French-Canadian descent, volunteered for the Army job at about the age of 19. She worked in Chaumont, France, at the headquarters of Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

Marine City resident Oleda Joure, far right, stands with her brother Wallace Joure behind her. She and the other Hello Girls finally won recognition in 1977, when a package of bills recognizing the women as veterans was signed by President Jimmy Carter.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

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Marine City resident Oleda Joure, far right, stands with her brother Wallace Joure behind her. She and the other Hello Girls finally won recognition in 1977, when a package of bills recognizing the women as veterans was signed by President Jimmy Carter.
Courtesy of Helen Richard

Oleda Joure is in the front row, third from left, in this photo of Signal Corps telephone operators at headquarters in Chaumont, France.
National Archives

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The U.S. Signal Corps has a float in the welcome home parade in New York City on May 3, 1919.
National Archives

Oleda Joure walks with her daughter Helen Richard in this undated photo in Europe. "We stand on their shoulders," Richard told The Detroit News. "What they did was trailblazing."
Courtesy of Helen Richard

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Oleda Joure walks with her daughter Helen Richard in this undated photo in Europe. "We stand on their shoulders," Richard told The Detroit News. "What they did was trailblazing."
Courtesy of Helen Richard

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